Should I get a new video card?

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 07:59 AM

So I woke up the other morning, turned my PC on and it gave me 1 long and 3 short beep.
It also showed that I should "Check the signal cable". I found out that this can be caused by the video card, RAM or BIOS right? So I opened up my PC and took the video card out and put it back in, tried rubbing the contacts with some paper (dont know if this is a good idea throught). Nothing happened. So I tried removing RAM's (I got 2 RAM cards by 1GB). Still nothing. I dont want to go any futher with dismanteling my PC because I dont have expierience in this. But I suspect its the video cards fault. Right? And basicaly what Im asking is should I buy a new video card? Should I try something else to fix the problem?

Dont know if this is of any help but here goes my video card and motherboard:
My video card: GeForce 8600GT
My Motherbord: M2N-E SLI ASUS
This is the card Im considering getting:http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/N...specifications

So should I risk getting a new video card?

Looking forward for quick responses.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 08:02 AM

Well, s similar problem like yours that I encountered before was that I simply removed the battery from the motherboard, and the computer booted up fine. I don't know what it exactly did, but it worked for me.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:04 AM

The battery in the lower part of motherbord? Isnt it for the buzzer to do beeps?

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixaintnine

The battery in the lower part of motherbord? Isnt it for the buzzer to do beeps?

Well there should only be one battery in the motherboard.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:32 AM

Theres alot of wires I thought they might be covering one idk. Anyways its near the buzzer which makes me think its used for that. And its tightly put in there so I couldnt manage to get it out.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixaintnine

Theres alot of wires I thought they might be covering one idk. Anyways its near the buzzer which makes me think its used for that. And its tightly put in there so I couldnt manage to get it out.

First, I suggest that you remove the psu plug from the outlet. Then use something sharp like a pen or something and try plucking it out. Be careful not to pluck it out so hard as you might accidentally damage other things with the sharp object.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:39 AM

Well I removed it and I got the same beeping. I guess thats not the problem. Thanks anyways.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 08:42 AM

what type of cable are you using, HDMI, DVI, VGA?

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:45 AM

Im using DVI-D Dual link. But I kinda rolled it out because I tried 2 of em.

Thrackan · Jul 7, 2011, 08:46 AM

One short, three longs is a RAM error. Reseat your RAM, unplug your PSU, remove the BIOS battery, hold the power button for a couple of seconds, put the BIOS battery back in and the power back on. Good chance this will fix your problem, otherwise you're in a dire position.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 08:52 AM

If it is showing the "Check Signal" on your screen, I believe it has to do with the cable, as my cables come out easily.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

One short, three longs is a RAM error. Reseat your RAM, unplug your PSU, remove the BIOS battery, hold the power button for a couple of seconds, put the BIOS battery back in and the power back on. Good chance this will fix your problem, otherwise you're in a dire position.

Nope. Same beeps. You see I got no problem with buying a new video card but I really need to know it is its fault. Is it safe to assume that right now? Or should I try something more?

Thrackan · Jul 7, 2011, 08:56 AM

If it shows "Check Signal", the monitor is not receiving a signal. This can be due to a faulty GFX card or a broken cable. You could also try reseating the GFX card.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techguy31

If it is showing the "Check Signal" on your screen, I believe it has to do with the cable, as my cables come out easily.

I guess if the video card is not passing signal to the motherbord from the monitor it could also show check signal cable. Couldnt it?

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

If it shows "Check Signal", the monitor is not receiving a signal. This can be due to a faulty GFX card or a broken cable. You could also try reseating the GFX card.

Tried it. I also tried cleaning its contacts. Nothing.

Red_Machine · Jul 7, 2011, 08:59 AM

Don't bother with that GT240, it's a pile of crap. Buy a GTX 460 at the very least.

Thrackan · Jul 7, 2011, 09:01 AM

I would suggest finding someone with a backup GFX card you can test before buying a new one, or buy it at a shop where you can make sure you can return it if the GFX card is not the problem.

You might have a bigger problem at hand though. I'm suggesting motherboard, or PSU.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

I would suggest finding someone with a backup GFX card you can test before buying a new one, or buy it at a shop where you can make sure you can return it if the GFX card is not the problem.

You might have a bigger problem at hand though. I'm suggesting motherboard, or PSU.

I agree, might be the PSU or motherboard.

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techguy31

I agree, might be the PSU or motherboard.

Why PSU, motherboard? Is the chance of it being video card so small?

Thrackan · Jul 7, 2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixaintnine

Why PSU, motherboard? Is the chance of it being video card so small?

Because any properly seated GFX card *should* give a signal to a monitor cable, but the 1 short, 3 long beep code refers to a RAM problem.

Usually if there are conflicting symptoms pointing to different components, one of the components that governs all other components (so the PSU or the motherboard) is the problem.

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixaintnine

Why PSU, motherboard? Is the chance of it being video card so small?

I have yet to encounter any problems with video cards. Whether the video card is old or new, I have never had any problem with them. This is my experience with problems I have encountered when troubleshooting my computers though. I don't know if it will apply to yours, but I am just sharing my experience with you that I have faced before.

Benetanegia · Jul 7, 2011, 09:15 AM

That MB has Award BIOS, so 1 long 3 short beeps means something related to GFX card definately.

I would suggest the same as above, see if you can borrow a GPU from someone and try it out before buying anything.

At this point the fault is either on the GFX card or the MB IMO. afaik the 8600 does not need aditional power, so the PSU I'd rule out PSU for the time being. You would get another kind of error if the MB itself was not getting enough power.

BTW have you tried to put the GFX card in another PCIe slot?

Thrackan · Jul 7, 2011, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Benetanegia

That MB has Award BIOS, so 1 long 3 short beeps means something related to GFX card definately.

I would suggest the same as above, see if you can borrow a GPU from someone and try it out before buying anything.

At this point the fault is either on the GFX card or the MB IMO. afaik the 8600 does not need aditional power, so the PSU I'd rule out PSU for the time being. You would get another kind of error if the MB itself was not getting enough power.

BTW have you tried to put the GFX card in another PCIe slot?

Whoops, I misread and assumed an AMI BIOS

Quote:

Award:
1long, 3short No video card or bad video RAM Reseat or replace the video card.

so I'd say, get another GFX card to check

Sixaintnine · Jul 7, 2011, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thrackan

Because any properly seated GFX card *should* give a signal to a monitor cable, but the 1 short, 3 long beep code refers to a RAM problem.

Usually if there are conflicting symptoms pointing to different components, one of the components that governs all other components (so the PSU or the motherboard) is the problem.

Well thank you all for the help. I guess Im gonna try to find a shop which I could return the video card to if thats not the case... But if the problem is motherboard wouldn't it be smarter to get new PC?

Mine has 2GB RAM and 2,4 GHZ Dual core

techguy31 · Jul 7, 2011, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sixaintnine

Well thank you all for the help. I guess Im gonna try to find a shop which I could return the video card to if thats not the case... But if the problem is motherboard wouldn't it be smarter to get new PC?

Mine has 2GB RAM and 2,4 GHZ Dual core

If your going to buy a new pc why not just build a cheap rig and you could salvage some parts like the PSU, 2GB RAM and save about 150 bucks.

Jul 7, 2011, 07:59 AM	#1
Sixaintnine Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 19 (0.03/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Should I get a new video card? So I woke up the other morning, turned my PC on and it gave me 1 long and 3 short beep. It also showed that I should "Check the signal cable". I found out that this can be caused by the video card, RAM or BIOS right? So I opened up my PC and took the video card out and put it back in, tried rubbing the contacts with some paper (dont know if this is a good idea throught). Nothing happened. So I tried removing RAM's (I got 2 RAM cards by 1GB). Still nothing. I dont want to go any futher with dismanteling my PC because I dont have expierience in this. But I suspect its the video cards fault. Right? And basicaly what Im asking is should I buy a new video card? Should I try something else to fix the problem? Dont know if this is of any help but here goes my video card and motherboard: My video card: GeForce 8600GT My Motherbord: M2N-E SLI ASUS This is the card Im considering getting:http://www.asus.com/Graphics_Cards/N...specifications So should I risk getting a new video card? Looking forward for quick responses.

System Name:	Home Theatre
Processor:	i5 750
Motherboard:	Gigabyte P55 USB3
Memory:	4GB ADATA 1333
Video Card:	Sapphire 1GB ATI 5670
Hard Disk:	32gb Kingston SSD (Os)/ 1TB and 640GB Caviar Blue (Storage)
CRT/LCD Model:	Sony KDL40HX800
Case:	Cooler Master HAF 922
Sound Card:	HT Claro Plus
PSU:	Corsair HX650
Software:	Windows 7 64-bit

Jul 7, 2011, 08:04 AM	#3
Sixaintnine Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 19 (0.03/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	The battery in the lower part of motherbord? Isnt it for the buzzer to do beeps? Last edited by Sixaintnine; Jul 7, 2011 at 08:12 AM.

System Name:	Home Theatre
Processor:	i5 750
Motherboard:	Gigabyte P55 USB3
Memory:	4GB ADATA 1333
Video Card:	Sapphire 1GB ATI 5670
Hard Disk:	32gb Kingston SSD (Os)/ 1TB and 640GB Caviar Blue (Storage)
CRT/LCD Model:	Sony KDL40HX800
Case:	Cooler Master HAF 922
Sound Card:	HT Claro Plus
PSU:	Corsair HX650
Software:	Windows 7 64-bit

System Name:	Home Theatre
Processor:	i5 750
Motherboard:	Gigabyte P55 USB3
Memory:	4GB ADATA 1333
Video Card:	Sapphire 1GB ATI 5670
Hard Disk:	32gb Kingston SSD (Os)/ 1TB and 640GB Caviar Blue (Storage)
CRT/LCD Model:	Sony KDL40HX800
Case:	Cooler Master HAF 922
Sound Card:	HT Claro Plus
PSU:	Corsair HX650
Software:	Windows 7 64-bit

Jul 7, 2011, 08:02 AM	#2
techguy31 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 461 (0.42/day) Thanks: 57 Thanked 43 Times in 41 Posts System Specs	Well, s similar problem like yours that I encountered before was that I simply removed the battery from the motherboard, and the computer booted up fine. I don't know what it exactly did, but it worked for me.

Jul 7, 2011, 08:32 AM	#5
Sixaintnine Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 19 (0.03/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Theres alot of wires I thought they might be covering one idk. Anyways its near the buzzer which makes me think its used for that. And its tightly put in there so I couldnt manage to get it out.

Jul 7, 2011, 08:39 AM	#7
Sixaintnine Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 19 (0.03/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Well I removed it and I got the same beeping. I guess thats not the problem. Thanks anyways.

Jul 7, 2011, 08:42 AM	#8
techguy31 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 461 (0.42/day) Thanks: 57 Thanked 43 Times in 41 Posts System Specs	what type of cable are you using, HDMI, DVI, VGA?

Jul 7, 2011, 08:45 AM	#9
Sixaintnine Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 19 (0.03/day) Thanks: 10 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Im using DVI-D Dual link. But I kinda rolled it out because I tried 2 of em.

Jul 7, 2011, 08:46 AM	#10
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.88/day) Thanks: 234 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	One short, three longs is a RAM error. Reseat your RAM, unplug your PSU, remove the BIOS battery, hold the power button for a couple of seconds, put the BIOS battery back in and the power back on. Good chance this will fix your problem, otherwise you're in a dire position. __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

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Processor:	Core i5 3210M (2,5-3,1Ghz)
Memory:	8GB DDR3 SODIMM
Video Card:	Geforce GT650M
Hard Disk:	Samsung 830 256GB - 750GB Toshiba drive
Optical Drive:	Slim drive thingy
CRT/LCD Model:	LG E2711T-BN 27"
Software:	Windows 7 x64 Home Premium (non-acer-bloatware)

Jul 7, 2011, 08:52 AM	#11
techguy31 Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 461 (0.42/day) Thanks: 57 Thanked 43 Times in 41 Posts System Specs	If it is showing the "Check Signal" on your screen, I believe it has to do with the cable, as my cables come out easily.

Jul 7, 2011, 08:56 AM	#13
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.88/day) Thanks: 234 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	If it shows "Check Signal", the monitor is not receiving a signal. This can be due to a faulty GFX card or a broken cable. You could also try reseating the GFX card. __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

Jul 7, 2011, 08:59 AM	#16
Red_Machine Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Marlow, ENGLAND Posts: 1,454 (1.51/day) Thanks: 149 Thanked 279 Times in 226 Posts System Specs	Don't bother with that GT240, it's a pile of crap. Buy a GTX 460 at the very least. __________________ Alienware M11x R1 Netbook: 1.3GHz Core2 Duo U7300 (OC'd to 1.7GHz) \| 8GB Corsair DDR3 1333MHz \| nVIDIA GeForce GT 335M 1GB/Intel GMA 4500MHD Hyrbid Graphics System \| Western Digital Scorpio Black 500GB \| Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician \| CompTIA A+ Certified Heatware

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PSU:	Silverstone Olympia SST-OP1000 1kW
Software:	Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Jul 7, 2011, 09:01 AM	#17
Thrackan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,159 (1.88/day) Thanks: 234 Thanked 652 Times in 533 Posts System Specs	I would suggest finding someone with a backup GFX card you can test before buying a new one, or buy it at a shop where you can make sure you can return it if the GFX card is not the problem. You might have a bigger problem at hand though. I'm suggesting motherboard, or PSU. __________________ Play League of Legends! Join the Ghetto modders club Put your Steam games on multiple partitions

Jul 7, 2011, 09:15 AM	#22
Benetanegia Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Reaching your left retina. Posts: 2,683 (1.99/day) Thanks: 125 Thanked 701 Times in 494 Posts	That MB has Award BIOS, so 1 long 3 short beeps means something related to GFX card definately. I would suggest the same as above, see if you can borrow a GPU from someone and try it out before buying anything. At this point the fault is either on the GFX card or the MB IMO. afaik the 8600 does not need aditional power, so the PSU I'd rule out PSU for the time being. You would get another kind of error if the MB itself was not getting enough power. BTW have you tried to put the GFX card in another PCIe slot?

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